He Should have Known his Fate
by Neverstop13
Summary: From the first time he'd ever seen Tartarus, standing at the edge in a dream, staring at Kronos. From the time he'd met Grover and the Fates snipped the string. From the time he met Annabeth; from when he ever became a demigod, from the very beginning—even with Gabe—he should've known. That one sentence followed him down. One-shot of Percy's thoughts during the fall.


**Sigh. There is something wrong with me. I have three stories to update, and two projects I have to start thinking about, and all I'm doing is writing a one-shot for Percy. I think it's because of the House of Hades coming up soon. **

**Guys. It's so close. I am so excited.**

**You know what would be so cool? If at the bookstore, with every purchase of the House of Hades book, you get a free mini-tissue box to take with you for when you read the book. That actually wouldn't be cool, that'd be sad. As sad as I feel for Percy right now...well you'll see why.**

**I'm gonna stop rambling. **

**I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE HEROES OF OLYMPUS.**

**But I hope you enjoy this story. Please review!**

* * *

Percy didn't know what was happening until his feet were dangling. When that pull of the biggest force of gravity ever was tugging on him, threatening him to come down without any other choice.

His hand instinctively shot up, gripping to the side of the chasm. His other hand was squeezing her arm.

Percy looked down at her, struggling to hold them both up.

"Percy, let me go," she croaked. "You can't pull me up."

He realized too late what was happening—the thing that had happened too fast. Something he didn't even want to think about. But he had to; he had to make his decision. A decision that could kill them either way.

"Never," he said. It was all on him. It was his choice, a choice he knew that he would have to make sooner or later. It would never leave him, because death followed him around every corner. And the only way he could stop that was if he closed the doors.

He struggled to hold on, because a part of him couldn't let go. A part of him didn't want to. A part of him knew that they would probably never see light again. _But there was still a chance_, he told himself. _As long as he was alive, there was always a chance. A sliver of hope._

Percy looked up. "The other side, Nico! We'll see you there. Understand?"

Nico's dark eyes widened. "But—"

"Lead them there! Promise me!" He felt like it was his own death sentence he was saying by that line. _Promise me_. It sounded desperate, but at this point, desperation was better than nothing.

"I—I will,"

_Sacrifices. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess._

He was playing right into Gaea's trap. Because this was exactly what she wanted. But he couldn't stop that and she will have already won by the time he let go.

He should have known.

From the first time he'd ever seen Tartarus, standing at the edge in a dream, staring at Kronos. From the time he'd met Grover and the Fates snipped the string. From the time he met Annabeth; from when he ever became a demigod, from the very beginning—even with Gabe—he should've known.

He should have known his fate.

Percy should have seen it all this time, how in the end, it was always going to be like this. His flaws would get the best of him—be the death of him.

But he looked down at Annabeth, and her blonde hair glinted in the darkness. He wondered if he would still be able to see that in Tartarus. He had been away from her for too long, and he will never leave her side, or she leave his. Percy couldn't live with himself if he let her go. So there was only one possible answer.

"We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again."

_A one-way trip. A very hard fall._

"As long as we're together," she said softly.

He took that as a promise. A promise that, no matter what, they would fight through this, with every part of their godly and mortal being, but most importantly, they would do it together.

Percy almost hesitated before he let go. He listened to the frantic voices of his friends, how he wondered if he would ever hear them again. His heart thudded in his chest, and he was so scared, for a split second, but then he looked at Annabeth again, and all was calm. And he knew that this was going to be okay.

He caught his breath.

And then he let go, gripping Annabeth's hand, as they fell.

The whole way down, all he could think was two things: Annabeth. Wise Girl.

And that one sentence that he knew would always be in his mind. One sentence that sent a chill up his back, that Gaea herself could've said it.

_He should have known his fate._


End file.
